Turkey Blogger

Our friend MelissaMaples.com lives in Antalya, Turkey. We’ve known her for… approximately… for something over six years. I think. It’s just been a really long time and we’ve never even met her in person. However, she thinks differently and we like that – we really, really like that about her and it’s one of the reasons why we think so highly of Melissa.

She’s a published author, a musician, blogger, and photographer. In fact – she’s actually one of the sources of inspiration for us in our own photography. It may be obvious, or it may not be – but we get ideas for our own shots after seeing Melissa’s photos. She’s helped us a good bit over the years with her support, motivation, and technical know-how since we’re still learning about all of this internet stuff.

Right now she’s working on a project. A great project called Hidden Anatolia. In her own words:

Most people who know anything about Turkey are only familiar with Istanbul. While Istanbul is certainly a fantastic city worthy of attention, Turkey is so much more than just a single metropolis, and some of the most mysterious and beautiful places in the entire world lie hidden among the mountains, forests, and plains of Anatolia and Eastern Turkey. This is a land of history, a land of challenges, and a land of breathtaking magnificence.

Those familiar with my work as a photographer and author will already know about my dedication to raising awareness of this beautiful nation and its people. After having spent several years exploring and documenting the area of the Mediterranean coast, I feel ready to tackle the more esoteric aspects of Turkey. There is so much more to this country than what even the most adventurous tourists get to see – it is my intention to unearth these secrets and bring them to you in the form of a beautiful coffee table book of stories and photographs, as well as a website at http://hiddenanatolia.com/ documenting the more practical aspects of the trip, updated daily from the road as events unfold.

With your help, I’ll be able to arrange extended and in-depth travel to some of the most remote parts of Anatolia and Eastern Turkey. I’ll be able to explore and photograph everything from mysterious and unexplained ancient architecture, to isolated mountain villages where life is still much as it was a century ago. I will also be able to provide for all the boring-but-necessary expenses, like insurance costs and equipment transport. The more money I am able to raise, the longer I will be able to stay on the road, and the more spectacular the final product will be.

We kindly ask that you consider contributing $5 or $10 to Melissa’s project. It’s not money that disappears never to be seen again. You actually get stuff. So it’s not even really a donation since you’re actually purchasing prints.

$5 – Any contribution of $5 receives: one high-res digital photo from the trip, perfect for desktop wallpaper.

$10 – Any contribution of $10 receives: a set of five high-res photos, perfect for desktop wallpaper.

Or you can be really awesome like us and donate $100:

$100 – Any contribution of $100 receives: one beautiful, autographed print from the journey. This large wall print will be approximately 36 x 24 inches (90 x 60cm), but the exact dimensions may vary slightly depending on the aspect ratio of the shot in question.